Alternate nostril breathing

Yes. In one side and out the other. The ancient yogis came up with lots of different ways to breathe - for cooling off, warming up, concentrating the mind, relaxing, and all sorts of other health and cleaning benefits.

Alternate nostril breathing is one of those classic cure-all yoga techniques. It's a little weird at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will notice lots of subtle shifts in your energy. Sit up straight and tall. Close your eyes and take a few regular deep, slow breaths to get settled. Then place your right thumb over your right nostril and close it off. Inhale slowly through your left nostril for a count of 4, and then close it off with your index finger, open the right nostril, and slowly exhale for a count of 4. Then inhale through the right nostril for 4, and close it off, open the left, and exhale out. And so on. Try to sit still and breathe this way for several minutes, and as you practice, increase the count of your breath, and add a few seconds of holding the breath in before exhaling, and holding the breath out before inhaling. Not so much that's it's a struggle, just a few extra seconds of holding, and noticing.

Besides relaxing and revitalizing your energy, reducing your cravings or hunger, and cleaning the sinuses and the lungs, alternate nostril breathing is also really good for balancing both sides of your brain for more calm, clear thinking. It soothes the nervous system, improves sleep, and helps to regulate your body temperature. The left nostril is said to be cooling, the right heating, so if one side of your nose is "weaker" - bringing them into balance makes it easier to manage the shifts from blazing hot outside to refrigerated indoor environments.

A couple of cooling breath techniques are called Sitali and Sadant. They work pretty much the same way. If you can curl your tongue like a straw and poke it out of you mouth, pull the breath in long and slowly with a soft siiiiiii sound, then hold it in for a moment before releasing it through the nostrils, that's Sitali. If you can't tube your tongue, simply press the teeth lightly together, touch the tip of your tongue to the back of your front teeth, and pull the air in through the sides of your lips and teeth, with the same siiiiii sound, and release it also through the nostrils, that's Sadant.

Have fun!

Well into the 26th hour, and hungry. The fruit is delicious, and satisfying in the moment, but it doesn't last.

In 2 hours I'll be in a packed hall full of booze and pasta, and, because it's Casino Night, I'm a little worried about the "what happens in Johnson Hall stays in Johnson Hall" energy.

So, I had planned to write for a few minutes about pranayama - breathing techniques that can help to cool us, clean us, clear our minds. And they really do work! But I can't sit still right now for typing, so I'm going to have to employ some more active distraction tactics..... outside I go for dry skin brushing, a shower in the sun, maybe even paint the toe nails. And all the while - breathing deeply, slowly, and mindfully, in and out. In and out.

What are you doing to keep moving through hunger?

The ancient yogis covered it all, folks - they tidied up inside and out.

I have to say here, though, that these cleansing techniques are cool and useful, but I am a Middle Way girl - I don't recommend extremes of any kind - so try not to get carried away with over-cleansing. We live in a very toxic world, and there's no question it is a good idea to back away from it every once in a while and let things rest. But in my experience, a strong, vibrant, resilient immune system is weakened by the over-sterilization of our environments. Just being alive proves that a certain amount of junk coming at us makes us stronger and more adept, so cleansing should be considered a vacation, not a lifestyle.

Here are some fun, easy things you can try.

Eyes:

Place a candle flame, or a single flower in a vase, at eye level a few feet away from you, and try to keep your eyes on it without blinking for 1 - 2 minutes. It's going to burn for a short time, and then your whole eyes will flush with water. In last night's detox class, we used a feather, and practiced 3 sets of that. It cleans your eyes and trains your concentration. Watching your fave sad movie also cleans your eyes, though, and opens your heart. Try both this weekend and see if things look brighter next week.

Nose:

I don't like nasal cleansing with a neti pot, I have to admit. I don't do it often, because I don't suffer from sinus problems or allergies, and a nice hot shower, followed by a piece of kleenex, seems to serve me most of the time. But lately in my hot yoga classes I've been noticing more mucus in the throat and nose - it's just so incredibly dry this summer - inside and out. So, a 1/4 teaspoon of pure salt in a neti pot in the shower is a great idea now, and always when you are cleansing. If you've never tried it before, you can find them in most natural food markets. You fill the pot, tilt your head to one side and put the spout to that nostril, and pour. Tilt your head so the water goes out the other nostril, not into the throat. I do half the neti pot for each side, and then blow out the water, etc. really well.

Ears:

A few years ago, I had an episode of really really really not listening to myself, and even my body, which I'm usually pretty attuned to, could not make me pay attention. My ears filled up with wax until I literally could not hear out of one ear, and hardly at all from the other. Eventually I went to a clinic and the nurse practitioner pulled out a crochet hook, stuck it in my ear and yanked an inch and a half long Shrek candle out. SO technically, I do not think ear waxing really works, but obviously the drug store ear drops don't either - I had been using both of them for weeks trying to clean the ears out. Internet research is deeply divided on the issue of putting a cone dipped in wax in your ear and lighting it up to pull the wax out. Some people say it's the best thing in the universe, and other say it is down right dangerous. I say, any time you are working with fire and wax, there is a possibility of getting burned, so use at your own risk, and no way did it clean my ears out completely, but I think it worked a little bit. I always felt better after, a little more clean. So, if you are living with a fairly normal amount of discharge in your ears, and you like living on the wild side, go to the local health food store and buy a couple. Working with a friend is best, but I've done it on my own, lying down with a mirror in front of me to watch the candle burn down to a safe height. I cut a hole in a paper plate and put the candle through it, to catch the ash. I think I'll probably do that later today.

Yup. Open a drawer, a closet, an old steamer trunk in the attic - and sort the treasures from the trash. This is the detoxing of the mind and life portion of our program, and it also sets you up for a great day managing the apprehension and cravings.

Think of it this way: junk drawer = colon. You don't need that s**t.


A little grapefruit and bergamot essential oil blend helps reduce cravings for sweets, FYI, if you are doing the vegetables or grains option this weekend instead of the fruit.


P.S. this is not my junk drawer picture. I love google images..